Does anyone else have this issue? I love sci-fi, avowed commie, but I just can’t get hooked on Le Guin’s writing. I don’t know what it is, I like the concepts, the plots, but it just doesn’t hook me. I haven’t tried Left Hand of Darkness though and I’ve heard that’s her best.
It probably depends on what hooks you. I bounced off Left Hand of Darkness at first. Later read The Dispossessed (now my favorite book), The Lathe of Heaven, The Birthday of the World short story collection, and I’m trying to get into Left Hand again now, which I’m finding a bit easier to read after becoming comfortable with Le Guin’s writing style.
Left Hand of Darkness is wonderful but personally The Dispossessed resonated with me quite a bit more, just found it breathtakingly human in a way that totally broke me down. probably my favourite book now.
She’s certainly got an older feel to her writing. I feel like it requires more work to get into, but I find the payoff is usually worth it. This might sound weird, but I think she had higher expectations from her readers than most authors have nowadays.
It does have that feel, I can tell she is a great writer. I’ll have to give it another go. It takes a little effort to fully visualize what she writes probably because it is just more advanced prose than most things I read, I read a lot more non-fiction these days than novels so it’s a little tricky at times to interpret the more poetic/metaphoric style, especially when I am stressed and can’t focus well.
I totally get what you mean; Starting off, her books always have a dimmer picture in my head. As if the images were being illuminated by a flickering candle that could go out at any time. It takes quite a few chapters before I feel like I’m getting the full picture.
This might sound weird, but I think she had higher expectations from her readers than most authors have nowadays.
Just an aside, but I strongly suspect this is like a literary equivalent to shows being made for second screens.
Does anyone else have this issue? I love sci-fi, avowed commie, but I just can’t get hooked on Le Guin’s writing. I don’t know what it is, I like the concepts, the plots, but it just doesn’t hook me. I haven’t tried Left Hand of Darkness though and I’ve heard that’s her best.
It probably depends on what hooks you. I bounced off Left Hand of Darkness at first. Later read The Dispossessed (now my favorite book), The Lathe of Heaven, The Birthday of the World short story collection, and I’m trying to get into Left Hand again now, which I’m finding a bit easier to read after becoming comfortable with Le Guin’s writing style.
Left Hand of Darkness is wonderful but personally The Dispossessed resonated with me quite a bit more, just found it breathtakingly human in a way that totally broke me down. probably my favourite book now.
She’s certainly got an older feel to her writing. I feel like it requires more work to get into, but I find the payoff is usually worth it. This might sound weird, but I think she had higher expectations from her readers than most authors have nowadays.
It does have that feel, I can tell she is a great writer. I’ll have to give it another go. It takes a little effort to fully visualize what she writes probably because it is just more advanced prose than most things I read, I read a lot more non-fiction these days than novels so it’s a little tricky at times to interpret the more poetic/metaphoric style, especially when I am stressed and can’t focus well.
I totally get what you mean; Starting off, her books always have a dimmer picture in my head. As if the images were being illuminated by a flickering candle that could go out at any time. It takes quite a few chapters before I feel like I’m getting the full picture.
Just an aside, but I strongly suspect this is like a literary equivalent to shows being made for second screens.